Due to inclement weather, the Heart of the Hudson Valley Bounty Fest was wisely moved to Sunday, October 6 and was duly rewarded with the perfect fall afternoon.

The Festival, sponsored by Meet Me in Marlborough, attracted a variety of vendors selling organic produce from Hepworth Farms, while others sold artisan cheeses, handmade crafts, brew specialties, baked goods, face and pumpkin painting.

The public was treated to a drumming presentation from Senegalese percussionist Amadou Diallo. He handed out a number of small djembe drums and showed the kids how to play some traditional African rhythm patterns.

Diallo came to the United States in 2001, just two months prior to the events of 9/11, and now lives in High Falls in Ulster County. He performs at festivals and in schools, often with other musicians. He said the kids are fascinated by so many cultures in Africa, “and so many different types of drums and rhythms. I tell them I speak seven different languages but music is the universal language.”

Students of Madeline Bartolotti performed new dances they have been working on since September at her dance center in Marlboro. Now in her 33rd year, she offers instruction in ballet, tap, jazz and her ever popular tumbling classes. She has taken her students to perform in Australia, California and Florida and is hoping to have some of them perform in France ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games.

The public was also treated to a performance by Grupo Folklorico de Poughkeepsie, showcasing authentic music and dance from Oaxaca, Mexico. The colorful costumes were beautiful to behold.
Dawes Septic has been a long sponsor of the Bounty Fest. Becky, who is a third generation, said the company was founded by her husband’s grandfather Hank Dawes in 1952.

“He was known as the unofficial mayor in nearby Dawesville and had the first vacuum truck in the area,” she said, adding that today they also design and install septic systems along with doing repairs and maintenance.

Becky said each year they help sponsor the Bounty Fest because they work in the area and it is a way of giving back to the community.

“It’s fun and we love it but it’s also important that we do it so that everybody is taken care of in the community,” she said.

Kim and Steve Wojehowski, of Woj’s Wood Shop, have been vendors at the Bounty Fest for about seven years. They make personalized, hand-crafted signs and plaques, custom laser crafts, picture frames and handmade Adirondack Furniture, to name a few of the many items they make and sell.

“They make great gifts because you can’t find or buy anything like this at Walmart,” Steve proudly said.

Mavis Harrin displayed a number of her art works and heard about the Festival from being a part of the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays in Milton.

“I fell in love with it and this is my first year doing it,” she said of both the market and the festival. “I was so nervous and Sheila made it a most welcoming, comfortable experience.”

President of Meet Me in Marlborough, B J Mikkelsen, said, “we wanted everybody to have a good time; that’s what it is here for and we’ve been doing it for a long time. Mainly it’s to celebrate Marlborough’s harvest and promote our local businesses and we try to make it a nice fall day for families.”